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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 2:21:32 GMT -5
Glancing towards him, she rested the front part of her body on Appa's head so it would be much harder for her to fall off. "Well Twinkle toes, you needed to create balance in this world, and who's to say that this will be the last disaster. You're here to keep balance. It doesn't have to be with someone you hate. It just has to be at some point. And you're talking about this like we're like... 40 or something. We're 17... We're still young. Relax." she gave him a light and playful punch.
There wasn't much she could say. To be honest, she didn't want kids. She could never imagine keeping something like that inside of her. Not to mention she'd heard that bending was forbidden when pregnant. Toph SAW with Earth bending. There were other reasons, like she would have to give up her habits and live for someone else rather than herself. Maybe that made her selfish, but she didn't care about that. She loved being herself, doing what she wanted, having fun, and living her life without the restraints her parents wanted so badly. It was something that pissed her off so much. But, she felt safe with Aang in that moment.
They seemed to be having the same internal conflict. he didn't want the responsibility, and she didn't either. Her parents wanted her to have an heir, a male heir that wasn't like her. An heir that was perfect, the son they wanted rather than the blind daughter that rendered her mother sterile. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she was afraid that her own child would be blind. If they were normal, like Sokka for example, having no powers of earth bending - they would be truly blind. Toph hated responsibility, and there were days when she could barely handle herself never mind a kid. And... a blind kid? Or one like her? Rebellious, angry, headstrong and hot headed? Yeah... that would be a great combination. She could just imagine herself doing shots with her 15 year old son, calling him a wimp for having a hang over.
"There's always tomorrow." She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I should teach you to tell if someone is lying. The physical response they give off. That or I can just be your lie detector whenever you meet a girl. I don't think you could completely master everything I know. I can tell from practice. Almost every word my parents said to me was a lie. Comes with experience I suppose."
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Post by nyrax on Jan 24, 2010 16:17:58 GMT -5
“It’s hard to think about what could happen after what we’ve already been through”, Aang remarked as he glanced at Toph. “I mean the entire world was in a state of terror, the fire nation was getting more and more powerful by the day, the fire lord himself was going to use a comet to wipe out the rest of the planet while his insane daughter became the fire lord”, he pointed out. “After that I think it’ll be hard to top don’t ya think?”, he asked with a small chuckle at the comment about how old he was. “Guess I just talk like that when I’m feeling a bit down”
Aang not only wanted children, but as Toph was so blunt to point out he really did need it. The next avatar after him would need to know how to perform air bending, and if the line ended with him than everything would be lost. The avatar would only be able to perform three elements, not giving him the advantage that he would need to keep balance. Even if more airbenders did come through his line, it would be several generations before there was even a decent amount. If Aang didn’t find someone that he loved, if he didn’t find someone that would bare his child, he really would be the last airbender. That title never seemed to be more real than it was right now, it almost scared him as the thoughts came into his mind.
“Can’t you sense people’s heart beat Toph? And that’s how you tell if people are lying?”, Aang asked curiously. He wasn’t sure that his earth bending would ever be that good. Toph was right, she could never teach him everything that she knew. He just wasn’t very good with earth overall, especially in the past few years it had been slipping too much. He didn’t respond to the comment about her parents lying to her, just didn’t know what to say about this point. He gave a small sigh and looked towards her. “Perhaps we should just go with the basics for a start?”
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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 17:32:39 GMT -5
Toph grinned at the thought of going back to the beginning. "Man it's like you like being screamed at by me." She said, nodding affirmatively. "We might not have to start at the beginning. You got pretty good at earth bending but with Katara's craziness you ended up doing way more water bending to spend time with her." Leaning her elbow on Appa's head, she rested her head on it and faced him. "I can tell by their heart and breathing rates. There's a physical reaction to the body lying. Some people are really good at some of them, like Azula. She's crazy, giving her no conscious. If they feel no remorse or have thought a lot what they said than it sorta makes it harder for me to tell. We could always try though. I have nothing against trying to teach you something considering it's my job."
Honestly as much as Toph hadn't wanted to teach him earth bending, the idea had grown on her once they started to get along. The girl had never been good with people, being fully exposed and close with them, making it exceptionally difficult for her. Even now, her emotional distance was something that made her an amazing warrior and people admire her. When she worked as head of the Dai Li, it seemed that everyone in Ba Sing Se loves to be screamed at and ordered around. A power she loved more than anything else. To be in absolute and total control. It made her feel so much better. She had yet to give up her sarcastic and sometimes cruel nicknames.
"As long as there's ground, I can teach you anything you want. We'll start with me trying to break your staff again and crushing you when you're blind folded. You started to see the world the way I do. So I guess we'll just have to make you remember. If you get some bruises on that baby skin of yours... well... that's what you get for being lax on earth bending for so long." Her shoulders lifted up in a shrug.
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Post by nyrax on Jan 24, 2010 17:57:14 GMT -5
“Oh yeah, you screaming at me and throwing rocks at me until I had the courage to stop them……good times”, Aang said seriously despite how he started the sentence. Those first few days with Toph had indeed been stressful, but if it wasn’t for what she did than he might not have ever gained the raw courage and skill that it took to earthbend. She was the greatest earth bender and by far the greatest teacher of them all. He smiled at the thought of continuing their training sessions. It would be really different now that it was just the two of them, he would have to learn to accept everything that Toph threw at him. If he didn’t there wasn’t going to be a single person that would be able to show mercy to him. “Well you are the teacher, so whatever you decide to teach me I will just learn”, he said with a large grin towards the girl.
Toph was an effective teacher, it just took a short while to try to get used to her style. Not only was earth Aang’s hardest element to use, but in comparison to Katara as a teacher Toph was like a raging bull that was out for blood. It wasn’t pretty. Aang remembered the first training session, considering that it had nearly killed him on multiple occasions after all. Toph was always in control for those training sessions, never backing or stopping for a moment, even if Aang really needed it. It made strong discipline that was certain. “Well I guess that we will just have to see how that works out than”, he said with a small smile towards her. “You’re the teacher and I am merely the student, but I think you’ll find I’m not so easily intimidated after fighting against Ozai”, he said with a small smile.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 18:18:25 GMT -5
"They were good times Twinkle toes. And, if nothing else, they were at lease amusing. For me." That was one thing that made her a good teacher. She didn't care about his mood or how tired he was. Tired never waited for anyone! But her inside view of his internal organs also helped in the sense that she knew if he was about to die or something of the sort. Being unable to see up here, she did however get used to flying and much preferred it after the other ways they'd traveled. Like.. those submarines that Sokka had made. Ugh... It was one of the worst feelings in the world. They were metal and she could bend them, but being in that much water.
No thank you... Not again, not any time soon. After what she'd just been through, she never wanted to SEE water again.
"You'll always be a push over to me, Twinkles." She pointed out with a grin of her own, even if she was unable to see his. "We'll figure something out though. Maybe I can throw giant flaming rocks at you again and see if that brings back some memories. But, as long as you don't take my bending away, I'm sure it will end in you wallowing in fear." Whereas she was kidding, it just helped her to say things like that. Aang was the avatar, and even though she somehow suspected that he'd somehow grow stronger than she was; it was starting to bother her less and less. Being an all powerful cosmic being, having mastered the elements thousands of times, even though Earth was Aang's opposite, it wasn't the opposite of his previous lives.
Shifting so she was closer to him, worried that she was approaching the edge of Appa's neck, she continued to rub hi softly. It helped her feel more comfortable and she was holding him in case she stumbled. Toph had a killer grip and could hold onto something through a hurricane. "I've been meaning to ask you something." Turning her head to face him, her milky eyes rested on him. Her voice wasn't critical like it sometimes was. It was actually fairly light and easy. "Do... you think that Katara will even want to see me?"
Toph's pride was something that would never shatter. it was stronger than metal and unbendable. But, after the way they had fought, she was worried that Katara would want nothing to do with her. And.. on vacation that would be awkward. She'd never apologize first, but Katara might not either...
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Post by nyrax on Jan 24, 2010 18:49:14 GMT -5
“Well I’m not sure if I’d call them amusing, but was definitely a group of memories that I’m not going to be forgetting any time soon. I’m pretty sure that some of my bones might still be cracked from last time”, Aang said jokingly. Flying was always his favorite, mainly because it relied on the wind and air in order to let Appa fly, despite his extremely large size. Feeling the air moving against his skin as they flew was something that they wouldn’t ever forget, a pure amazing feeling that just made him feel like he was at home, or at least close to it.
Aang couldn’t help but laugh at Toph’s next suggestion. “Maybe we should go back and ask Zuko if we can borrow a catapult from one of his ships, which will give you the all the fireballs you want to throw at me”, he said as he continued to laugh at the idea. He really could picture Toph just doing that to him, launching a ton of flaming boulders at him in order to make him afraid of her. He had stopped being afraid of Toph a long time ago, although he would never actually admit that for his own safety. She had grown on him quickly, and that was something that no amount of her joking threats would ever change. She really was a caring person, as shown by her next question.
Aang blinked and glanced at her, obviously not knowing the answer. “I can’t really say Toph”, he admitted under his breath. “You and Katara both felt like you were in the right, and when things like that happen it’s hard to fix them”, he said as he turned towards her. “If it will be fixed than one of you has to take the first step and hope that the other responds and agrees with what you said…….but I just don’t know”, he muttered under his breath. “Katara has changed a lot, but that stubbornness that you both have has not”, he admitted. “I guess we will just have to wait and find out”
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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 18:59:33 GMT -5
Toph glanced over at him. "hmm.. Then our training with Melon Lord would be much more effective. Do you think we could get Sokka to dress a couple Melons up as person again?" She asked, humor thick in her voice. That was a fun training mission, all Toph did was throw flaming rocks at people, and it was amazing. Something that she wouldn't mind doing again. Who knows, someone might try to get back the power and restart the war that Sozen started many years before.
Somehow she knew that his heart kept skipping whenever she said Katara's name, so she made it a point to refer to her as something else or just not mention her from this point forward. The only reason she was calling her Katara was because she was genuinely worried. As much as she argued and fought with Katara, it was never about fighting. It was about entertainment. They liked arguing with one another, but the last time they argued, Katara had taken it too far. She's yelled at her, asking what she knew about Aang or love. How a blind girl could know anything of the position she was in. That had been the real reason behind her running off. It was a slip of the tongue, whatever... it still hurt.
"Thanks Twinkles." She said, punching him lightly on the arm. As long as they were in the air and she was unable to 'see', she wasn't going to hit him as hard as she could. She didn't want to make him jerk Appa's reigns and up in the ocean or a volcano or something. "We'll just see how it goes. Who knows, maybe we can just double team her for revenge?" She asked, trying to make him feel better. "And the day that I stop being stubborn is that day you have permission to attack me, ok?"
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Post by nyrax on Jan 24, 2010 19:15:39 GMT -5
This was one of the reasons that Aang loved having Toph around, she was always able to turn humor out of anything. He remembered everything that she talked about and more. He recalled one time when they were searching for an ancient library. They were flying over the hot dessert for hours and Toph was bored out of her mind. She had called out that she had found it and everyone looked to see it, not realizing that she was of course blind. IT was things like that which always put a smile on his face. Toph just had that gift, when training she was always so serious, but when she was just with them…….she was always great fun to be around.
Aang gave a weak smile as Toph thanked him for the weak and little advice that he had provided. “You’re welcome Toph, anytime”, he added with a warm smile at her. He wasn’t sure if she could see it or not, but he always did that just out of habit. Aang always forgot that Toph was blind, well most of the time at least. She just acted like such a great person it was hard to imagine. He laughed at her next suggestion. “I’m not really sure if I am the revenge type or not Toph, but if you two could be friends again I’d be really happy. I know that nothing will be the same between me and Katara, but I’d still like it if we could all at least be friends again”
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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 19:34:13 GMT -5
Toph couldn't see him smiling, but she could feel it. Not through vibrations or anything, she just learned to figure out when he was smiling after a while. Like when she learned to tell whenever Katara was pissed off and not talking about it. Katara was normally verbal with her anger, but there were times when she wasn't.
Thinking back, a lot had changed since they were traveling the world teaching Aang the elements. It made her miss it more. They had all been so close, their only worry was Ozai, but now that the world was at peace, Toph really had nothing. Gaoling didn't really change at all during the war. it was untouched, rich, and prosperous. It was like a sanctuary. But, without her friends it wasn't the same... She missed the carefree but serious atmosphere. Since they'd gotten older, so much had changed and she hated it... She wished that this vacation would help them out a lot.
"Yeah, your a pacifist. I remember." She said, watching him with a bored expression on her face. "But, I'll try to be nice to her as long as she's not nasty to me." Her head turned, the wind blew her hair over her shoulders.
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Post by nyrax on Jan 24, 2010 20:21:00 GMT -5
Aang wasn't seen until the end of the war, the fire nation continued to try to gain dominance over all of the land by wiping out the earth kingdom, their biggest threat by far. Without the Avatar to be found, the fire nation plunged on into war, not caring who died along the way. Within a years time the war was over when Aang showed up, he learned all of the elements and trained in the avatar state so that he could defeat Ozai, even when the comet had arrived. If anyone asked him what the war had really done to him, he wasn’t sure what he would say. There were many like Toph’s family who weren’t affected by the war, and yet so many had to kill or die for what they believed in and what they were ordered to do. Aang made the war over in the end, but he wouldn’t be dumb enough to take all of the credit for himself though.
“That’s all I can really ask of you Toph, if she’s mean to you I can’t blame you for reacting”, Aang pointed out as he looked towards her. “I just want us all to be friends again, to have that same bonding and magic like we used to. It just wasn’t the same anymore, and Aang really did miss that as well. “Well, I guess we can only worry about that once it comes, for the moment we have other things to focus on”, he added with a large smile to Toph, his teacher.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 20:51:03 GMT -5
Toph had never really cared about the war. Her family was wealthy and well off. They kept her sheltered and protected like a delicate flower with frail petals. She hated it, but there was nothing else that she could really do about it. Her parents sheltering nature was their way of protecting her and her helplessness, but it was also a constant reminder to them that they would never have the perfect family that they'd once dreamed of. She'd gotten over it with time, but she somehow still felt guilty about it. She cost her mother her ability to have children, and she wasn't the powerful son that their parents wanted to succeed and care for them.
"I'll try to get along with her, Twinkles." she said, smirking at him. "I'll try to make things even between the two of us, so I'll try not to be confrontational." She said, leaning down on Appa, half laying on his fluffy head. Closing her eyes, she smiled. He was so warm and soft. "I want that too. I sorta wish Ozai was still a threat to we could all be together." She laughed softly. "It's not the same... It's... disheartening."
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Post by nyrax on Jan 24, 2010 21:26:35 GMT -5
“I know exactly what you mean Toph”, Aang said slowly. “Back when we all knew that I would be facing the fire lord, it was somehow easier to forgive one another. Tensions were high, no one wanted the group to just be split apart and go their own ways. Everyone could realize the journey and the danger that we were all in, it brought us closer as a family”, he said with a smile. “You’re right, it is a little disheartening”, he said with a small sigh. “I’ll do my best not to make things weird around Katara, and I know that you’ll do your best to be nice as well”, he said with a warm smile. “I only hope that our time together can make us reforge that bond into something even stronger”, he said with a grin. “I want to make it there again, I want us to be as close as we were”
The next few days passed by with good thoughts. Aang and Toph spent a lot of the time catching up, Aang telling stories about his training and travels to the air temples once again in order to gain more of a connection with his people. Toph of course shared what she wanted to, so Aang probably did most of the talking. After a day or two they saw the nearest town in the Earth Kingdom. “There’s some good solid earth down there”, Aang said with a smile to lift Toph up into a good mood. “Hang on Toph, we’re going down”, he said with a grin as Appa began to descend down towards the ground.
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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 21:34:10 GMT -5
Toph tilted her head to face him. "Well, remember when I asked if you thought that friendships could last more than one lifetime? Maybe the avatar is reincarnated and our friendships are created from those that you trusted in your previous lives. Your other teachers or something." A smile spread across her lips. "It's a strange thought, but even though there's no proof about it, I feel like I could trust you when we met. It's why I was so mad when you beat me. I thought you were some weak little girl that I could break in half." She laughed and went back to petting Appa.
Aang was always much more talkative than Toph was. She did talk about what had gone on, her training, how she hated being around her parents, and how much fun she'd had. He seemed to have liked what he did, she smiled at him. "Yes! She said, hearing Appa land on the ground. Toph couldn't jump down fast enough. Landing on the ground, she hugged the ground, laying on her stomach. "Land sweet land!" She laughed, then felt Aang land not far from her. His light footsteps were unmistakable. Smiling she stood up and looked over at him. "Do you want to get started?"
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Post by nyrax on Jan 24, 2010 22:58:52 GMT -5
Aang tilted his head at the thought, not quite sure what to make out of it. “That really would be something wouldn’t it?”, he asked with a smile. “It makes sense as well, the Avatar must have picked the best teachers he could find in order to learn right? Who knows, maybe there’s someone like you in every generation that the avatar has existed…….although if there were that many sokka’s I’m not sure what to think about that”, he added jokingly. “Who knows, you might be right Toph. If so, I bet all the avatars were glad to have a friend like you”
Watching Toph’s reaction when they finally landed was probably something Aang couldn’t have paid enough to see. She loved the land more than anything, and for the past good while she hadn’t been able to bend and enjoy it as much as she could have, or should have. Watching her hug it just made Aang smile. He floated down effortlessly onto the ground, landing right next to Toph. “Well I’d say the sooner the better”, he admitted with a smile. “The best way to approach your training is diving right in, so let’s go”
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Post by Fateful on Jan 24, 2010 23:07:11 GMT -5
As Toph stood up from the ground, a smile met her lips. Now she seemed so much more positive and happier than before. "Alright student..." She said, tilting her head to the side to crack her neck. Taking the two steps to him, her hand went to his waist, pulling the belt out from around his waist, tying it around his eyes. "Come on." She took his wrist and started to walk, leading him. Ironic... blind leading the blindfolded.
Once they made it into a clearing, she left him there and took a few steps away from him. She bent a pillar from the ground to sit on. "Take you shoes off and get comfortable. We're going to work on how well you can see without your eyes." A grin formed on her lips. "Let's see just how much you've forgotten and how many bones I'm going to have to break for you to remember."
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